Patent GB-365059-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to means for checking the payment in coin of fares, admission fees and the like
IPC: G07B15/06
Filed: 1930-10-09
Abstract: 365,059. Coin-freed apparatus for hiring seats. BLACK, H. D., The Island, Uxbridge, and WEBB, C. F., 33, Kenton Park Avenue, Kenton, both in Middlesex. Oct. 9, 1930, No. 30262. [Class 27.] Comprises a coin-actuated mechanism operable upon insertion of one or more of a range of coins of different denominations to move automatically an indicator an amount proportional to the alleged value together with zeroizing means for the indicator. The apparatus is shown as applied to fares of a penny, sixpence, and a shilling. A coin, say sixpence, is placed in the appropriate slot 3 of three slots 2, 3, 4 and pressed to move a vertical member 6 down against the influence of a spring, such as 9, the member 6 being locked in the depressed position by a spring catch 11 engaging a notch 10. The lower end of the member 6 engages a pin 20 on a bell-crank lever 21, 19 and rocks the latter to move, through the medium of a link 22, an arm 23 about its pivot 24. The arm 23 carries a pawl 23a which is normally held out of engagement with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 32 fixed to a spindle 24 by a part 23b of the pawl riding on a fixed cam 31. The arm 23 is turned against the influence of a spring 26 an amount proportional to the coin, i.e. sixpence. The coin drops into a shoot 46 and moves a lever 47 which has a part 48 overlying a spring detent 35 which is moved to release a disc 33 which is then turned by a spring 36 until a deep notch part 52 of the disc engages the pawl part 23b which is moved to allow the pawl 23a to engage the ratchet teeth. The coin in dropping through a vertical part 50 of the shoot moves a lever 49 to swing a rod 51 and release the catches 11 whereupon the depressed member 6 returns and allows the spring 26 to move the ratchet wheel through six teeth. A dashpot 38 brakes the movement of the arm 23. A resetting wheel 39 provided with the same number of teeth as the ratchet wheel 32 is free on the spindle 24 and carries a spring detent 40 engaging a toothed wheel 41 keyed to the spindle with which it normally moves. A pointer 42 secured to the boss of the wheel 39 moves over a scale. A resetting pawl 43 on a spring-pressed rod 44 normally lies opposite a mutilated tooth 45 and cannot operate the wheel. The indicating needle may be moved to an amount corresponding to a penny and a shilling respectively by members 5, 7, which are adapted to engage a pin 30 on an extension of the arm 23 and a pin 15 on a lever 16 pivoted about the axis 17 and engaging an abutment 18 on the arm 19. The links and levers are so proportioned as to give the required movements of the arm 23. A spring detent 14 normally held out of the slot by the member 5, 6 or 7 closes the slot when a member is depressed and spring-pressed slotted plates 13 form a gate to prevent a second member being depressed after one of the members 5, 6 or 7 has been depressed. Where each seat on a vehicle is fitted with a mechanism as above, the resetting pawls may all be actuated by a Bowden cable or electromagnetically through a master switch so that one actuation of the switch by the conductor say at each stage sets the pointer back one division. When the journey for which a fare has been paid is ended the pointer is at zero. An independent actuator for each resetting pawl may be fitted. Indicator lamps at a central point may be connected to switches operated by the seat and resetting wheel so that they light up when the seat is occupied and the pointer away from zero. In a modification, the slots are side by side, and on a coin, say sixpence, being inserted in a slot, a pivoted lever is moved to swing a yielding toothed quadrant. The coin drops and in travelling -down its shoot rotates a star wheel one quarter of a revolution an integral cam positioning a pin to release the quadrant which in returning to zero engages and drives an escapement wheel through six teeth a pointer on the wheel indicating this value. In a further form, the slots are in line, and each slot has a shoot below it, the fall of the coin releasing a lever which drives a ratchet wheel and indicates a proportional amount to the value of the coin.